Three “unhealthy” dialogues
1) Laura: Steph, are you OK? You’re not your usual self today.
Steph: No, I’m a bit off-colour, actually. I felt like death warmed up when I woke up this morning. I had a splitting headache, and I thought I was going to throw up. I just keeled over and nearly passed out!
Laura: Oh, no! Poor you. Do you want something for your headache?
Steph: It’s OK. I took some tablets and it’s just starting to wear off. I really hope I‘m not coming down with flu.
Laura: Well, there’s a nasty bug going round at the moment – you could have picked it up anywhere. You’d better take things easy for a day.
YOU’RE NOT YOUR USUAL SELF/NORMAL SELF – you are not looking as you usually do
TO BE OFF-COLOUR = TO BE UNDER THE WEATHER – to feel/look very ill
TO FEEL/LOOK LIKE DEATH WARMED UP – to feel/look very ill and tired
A SPLITTING (HEADACHE) – a very bad one
TO THROW UP – to vomit
TO KEEL OVER – to fall over
TO PASS OUT = TO BLACK OUT - to faint <=> (OPP) TO COME ROUND
TO WEAR OFF – to gradually disappear
TO COME/GO DOWN WITH STH – to catch (flu or a cold)
A BUG – a bacterium or a virus
TO GO ROUND – to spread from person to person
TO PICK STH UP – to catch an illness
TO TAKE THINGS EASY – to relax
XXX
2) … After the operation Dad seemed to be on the mend, but he suddenly took a turn for the worse and started to go downhill. It was touch-and-go for a while, but the doctors reassured us that he would pull through. He’s doing OK now, touch wood …
TO BE ON THE MEND – to be getting better
TO TAKE A TURN FOR THE WORSE/THE BETTER – to suddenly become worse/better
TO GO DOWNHILL – to get worse in health
IT 'S TOUCH-AND-GO – it is very uncertain
TO PULL THROUGH – to get better after a life-threatening illness
TOUCH WOOD – said in order to avoid bad luck
XXX
3) I woke up feeling out of sorts and my eyes were incredibly itchy. When I looked in the mirror, I saw that they had swollen up, and I also noticed I’d come out in a rash on my neck. After a while, the swelling went down, but the rash hasn’t gone away. I’d better see the doctor and get it checked out. Better safe than sorry…
TO FEEL OUT OF SORTS – to feel ill and bad-tempered
ITCHY – making one want to scratch
TO SWELL UP – to become bigger in size <=> (OPP) TO GO DOWN
TO COME OUT IN A RASH – to become covered in spots
TO GO AWAY – to disappear
TO CHECK STH OUT – to find out if sth is safe
BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY = TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE
Reference:
Gairns Ruth, Redman Stuart “Idioms and Phrasal Verbs Advanced” (2001)
Love,
Micha
